Clerk Johnie Thorpe, Badgers, 1 Pondside Cottages, Graveley, Herts., SG4 7LG

Phone 01438 759935 E mail

29th July 2016

Dear Mr Ellis,

Graveley Parish Council (GPC) having reviewed the above application and supporting documentation strongly objects to the proposed development. Our objections are as follows:-

1. The proposed development is on Green Belt land and as such is an inappropriate development.

In your e-mail dated 19/4/2016 entitled “pre-Application Advice” to Croudace you wrote

“As you know the site is located in the Metropolitan Green Belt and as such under
current local and national planning policy I am unable to support the principle of
development at this site. Housing represents inappropriate development in the Green
Belt and despite the Council’s absence of a five year land supply of deliverable
housing sites ‘housing need’ is not in my view in of itself a very special circumstance
which would pursued the Council to grant planning permission in advance of further
progress with the current Local Plan (2011-2031).”

This stance is reinforced by the attached letter from Brandon Lewis, Minister of State for Housing and Planning dated 7/6/2016.

In light of this reaffirmation of the Government’s strong stance against development of Green Belt “unless exceptional circumstance exists and with the support of local people” which this proposed site clearly do not have, we disagree with your subsequent statement in that e-mail that following approval of the Local Plan and release of this site from Green Belt, subject to there being no unresolved technical planning issues, planning officers would be able in principle to support the application.

Under the National Planning Policy Framework there is a presumption in favour of sustainable development. Specific infrastructure inadequacies (please see below) in respect of the proposed site regarding roads, schooling and health all confirm that local infrastructure, which is already overstretched, cannot hope to support an additional 360 households at this time.

Significant investment in local infrastructure is required. The proposals outlined in Croudace’s application with regard to S106 monies clearly do not begin to address the incremental effect of the proposed development on the existing inadequate infrastructure.

2. Both Church Lane, Graveley and Back Lane, Weston suffer presently from being “Rat Runs”.

Proposed changes to the road layout improving access to Church Lane and Back Lane will result in a further significant increase in traffic volumes as more of the existing Great Ashby residents seek

to avoid the current heavy congestion in travelling towards Stevenage Town Centre. Church Lane is not suitable for large volumes of traffic or aggressive driving speeds.

As noted in the Traffic Assessment accompanying the application “Back Lane/Church lane is a narrow road, reducing to a single lane in places (5.1.6)” and described as “narrow, winding and

difficult (5.1.7)”. It is also subject to regular flooding and has no footpath and is popular with horse riders and walkers using the Hertfordshire Way.

Croudace in their Planning Application “do not propose to use Church Lane for construction traffic (8.11)”, this statement underlines the unsuitability of the road for other than light traffic, particularly at Crow End where the road is very narrow road with housing on the curb and double blind bends.

The Traffic Assessment notes for Graveley that “currently, two-way traffic in the morning peak is 84 vehicles and in the evening peak 34 (5.1.6)” with a predicated increase in traffic volumes attributable to the proposed development of four and one vehicles respectively (9.3.6).

Supporting documentation to the Local Plan (SA/SEA Report November 2014, Appendix 9) notes that for North Herts “Baseline data shows that 60% of residents currently drive a car or van to work, with an average journey of 15 miles to work and 14 miles for leisure, so this indicates that the majority of people are not working or using leisure facilities in their local town and it is likely that a significant proportion of new residents would work outside Stevenage and travel by car.

Given the lack of facilities in and near to the proposed development a similar pattern is likely to result, leading to a significant increase in car use over and above that predicted by the Transport Assessment. “Assuming an average of two cars per household this translates to some additional 432 cars ((2*360)*60%). We therefore consider that the Traffic Assessment significantly understates the number of additional car journeys which are likely to result from the proposed development particularly given the lack of available places at local schools and absence of a GP surgery within the Great Ashby development.

Regarding the proposed changes to the road network within Great Ashby to provide access to the site these will impact on road safety and reduced availability of parking in the access roads concerned, increasing parking issues in surrounding roads. During the construction period construction traffic will also result in an increase in congestion, deterioration in road safety and air quality.

3. Schooling and GP Facilities.

In its conclusion to its Planning Application Croudace describes the proposed development as being “in a sustainable location, with good access to a range of facilities (11.5)”. This is incorrect local primary/junior schools within walking distance are already heavily oversubscribed, with children having to travel to other schools with Stevenage and the surrounding villages. Also there is no secondary school provision within Great Ashby, and the current draft local plan does not indicate a provision of one.

Likewise despite having been established for over 15 years Great Ashby still does not have its own GP surgery, again requiring existing residents to travel across Stevenage to other GP surgeries or to the Lister Hospital.

It is very concerning that the above errors relating to essential infrastructure requirements have been made, particularly given the close involvement Croudace and its employees have had in the development of Great Ashby over the years and raises questions as to the integrity of the information provided in the application.

Yours sincerely

John Thorpe

Clerk to Graveley Parish Council

cc Peter Lilley MP,

Stephen McPartland MP,

Tony Hunter,NHDC

Cathryn Henry NHDC,

Terry Tyler NHDC

Robert Logan Chair of Great Ashby Council,

Tim Moody Chair of Weston Parish Council